Monthly Archives: April 2016

From the film ‘By This River’

The Greek Australian Short Film Festival (GASFF) is set to return, and organisers are calling for submissions.

Taking place for the seventh consecutive year, the festival aims to provide a platform to support, mentor and showcase Greek Australian short film.

By doing so, organisers hope to lead the cultural exchange of Greek related short films not just Down Under, but across the globe.

The GASFF accepts national and international short films, and the only criteria is that the production has a Greek connection.

Successful submissions will be screened during the Greek Film Festivals in both Melbourne and Sydney, which attract large audiences.

For more information, visit www.gasff.com or email greekaustshortfilmfestival@gmail.com

Source:Neos Kosmos

23 wineries will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide from 19-25 June to host a range of wine appreciation sessions.

Last year’s expedition was deemed a huge success, so it is no wonder that the “New Wines of Greece” will return to Australia. Showcasing innovative styles and native varietals, 23 wineries, representing some of the finest contingent of winemakers and educators from the world’s oldest growing region will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide from 19-25 June to host a range of sessions including trade tastings, highly educational masterclasses, and intimate dinners and lunches.

From the Peloponnese region to Santorini and the islands, more than 70 wines, ranging from zesty assyrtikos to vibrant xinomavros will be featured in presentations to  members of the Australian trade and media. A number of familiar faces from 2015’s events will be joined by some first-time visitors to the country, all highlighting exciting varietals in that Greek signature eternally modern style.

New Wines of Greece President, Yannis Voyatzis said he was looking forward to returning to Australia with the group of producers. “We are so excited to return to Australia and reconnect with the great friends and colleagues we met on our last trip,” he said. “We know there is growing intrigue around our famous wines in Australia and we have plenty of new information about varieties, techniques and exciting developing regions to share with Australia’s industry representatives. “Australians love food, just like the Greeks, and this is the perfect opportunity for us to highlight the perfect pairing wines for rich flavours and textures that we share an appetite for.”

Among the wineries featured in the deployment are, Alexakis Wines, Artemis Karamolegos Winery, Boutari, Cavino S.A., Domaine C. Lazaridi, Domaine Hatzimichalis, Domaine Porto Carras, Domaine Sigalas, Domaine Skouras, Estate Argyros, Gaia Wines, Gentilini Winery & Vineyards, Karavitakis Wines, Ktima Pavlidis, Lyrarakis Wines, Mercouri Estate, Palivos Estate, Santo Wines, Semeli, Theopetra Estate, Thymiopoulos Vineyards, Troupis Winery and Tsantalis Vineyards & Wineries. Trade tastings and masterclasses are to take place in Sydney (on Monday 20 June at the Establishment, 252, George Street) and in Melbourne (on Thursday, 23 June at the Westin Hotel, 205 Collins Street). For more information, visit  the New Wines of Greece website.

Source:Neos Kosmos

Adamstown

March: 8.30am, Adamstown Post Office, to memorial on Bunker Rd then service.

Aberdeen

Dawn service: 6am, Moray St Memorial. Morning service: 9.30am. March off from Aberdeen Preschool, 9am. Proceed along New England Hwy to Moray St Memorial.

Belmont

Morning service: 10am, Cullen Pk. March starts at George St, 9.30am, along Pacific Hwy to Cullen Pk. Form up 9.15am.

Beresfield

Dawn service: 5.40am, Beresfield Community War Memorial. March: 5.30am from Anderson Dr opp War Memorial.

Boolaroo-Speers Point

Dawn service: 6am, cenotaph, Speers Point. March: 5.15am, Speers Point, Park Street, to step off at 5.25am to cenotaph.

Branxton

Dawn service: 5.30am, Branxton World War I Rotunda, John Rose Ave. March: 11.15am from the main street to World War I Rotunda. Morning service: 11.30am, Rotunda.

Cardiff

Dawn march: 5am, cr Main and Macquarie rds. Form up at 4.45am and proceed Macquarie Rd to cenotaph. Dawn service: 5.15am, cenotaph.

Catherine Hill Bay

Dawn service: 6am, War Memorial, bowling club. Breakfast to follow.

Cessnock

Dawn service: 5.30am, cenotaph, Darwin St. Morning service: 11.30am, cenotaph. March leaves Cessnock Ex-Services, Vincent St, 11.15am.

Charlestown

Morning service: 11am, Lions Park, corner of Pacific Highway, Lincoln St and Carl Cl.

Cooks Hill

Morning service: 7.30am, war memorial, Bar Beach near Cooks Hill Surf Club.

Denman

Dawn service: 6am, Memorial Park, Paxton St. Church service: 11am St Bernards, Paxton St. Main service: Noon, Memorial Hall. March leaving Palace St, 11.40am, to Memorial Hall.

Doyalson-Wyee

Dawn service: 5am, Doyalson Wyee Club Cenotaph. Morning service: 9am, cenotaph. March steps off 8.30am from the front of Baptist Church, Wyee Rd, Doyalson.

Dudley

Dawn service: 6am, Dudley War Memorial, corner of Ocean St and Redhead Rd.

Dungog

Dawn service: 5.30am, cenotaph, Dungog RSL Club. War graves service: 7am, Dungog cemetery. March: 10.30am, Dowling Street in front of post office, proceed to RSL Club. Main service: 10.45am at RSL.

East Maitland

Dawn service: 5.30am, East Maitland War Memorial, cr Newcastle Rd and William St. March form up at 5.20am at RSL hall. Morning service: 11.30am, East Maitland War Memorial. Second march form up at RSL hall at 11.20am.

Greta

Dawn service: 5am, cenotaph. March: 9.30am, form up corner of Nelson St and New England Hwy. Morning service: 10am, cenotaph.

Hamilton

Dawn service: 5.30am, war memorial, Gregson Park. March: 5.15am, form up corner of Beaumont and Tudor st at 5am. Breakfast at Hamilton Public School from 6.15am.

Lambton – New Lambton

Morning services: 6.50am, New Lambton Pk memorial gates. 9am service at Morehead St gates, Lambton Pk. March: 10am, form up on Durham Rd. Proceed to Lambton Bowling Club, Karoola Rd, Lambton.

Lochinvar

Morning service: 11am, community hall, Lochinvar.

Maitland

Dawn service: 5.35am, World War I cenotaph, Maitland Pk. Form up opposite the WWI memorial in the Elgin St south car park at 5.20am. Morning service: 10.55am, WWI cenotaph, Maitland Park. Form up on Church St opp fire station at 10.15am for 10.30am march.

Merewether

Dawn service: 6.30am, Mitchell Park Memorial Gates, Merewether.

Medowie

Dawn service: 5.45am, Lions Memorial Park, cr Ferodale and Medowie rds.

Merriwa

Dawn service: 5.40am at cenotaph. Morning service: 10.30am march from RSL to cenotaph before 10.45am remembrance ceremony.

Morisset

Dawn service: 6am, Morisset Country Club. March: 10am, commuter car park at Morisset Railway Station, to Morisset Country Club. Morning service: 10.40am, Morisset Country Club.

Murrurundi

Dawn service: 6am, memorial gate, Murrurundi Bowling Club. March: 10.45am, form up on Adelaide St before marching to RSL Memorial Hall. Morning service: 11am, RSL Memorial Hall.

Morpeth

Morning service: 11.15am. Assemble opposite Campbell’s Store, cr Tank and Swan sts, 10.45am. Parade to proceed along Swan St to War Memorial, corner Swan and Northumberland sts, at 11am.

Muswellbrook

Dawn service: 6am, cenotaph, Bridge and Market sts. War graves service: 7.20am, cr Doyle and Brecht sts. Morning service: 10am, march along Bridge St from Simpson Park.

Nelson Bay

Dawn service: 5.30am, Apex Park, Nelson Bay. Form up at Apex Park at 5.25am. Morning service: 10.50am, Apex Park. March: 10.30am, assemble at Nelson Bay Bowling Club. March to proceed along Stockton St from 10.40am.

Newcastle

Dawn service: 5am, Camp Shortland, Newcastle Foreshore. Morning service: 10am, Civic Park. March steps off from Hunter Street Mall between Perkins and Newcomen sts at 9.15am. The march will go along Hunter St, into Darby St and then into King St to Civic Park.

Pelican

Dawn march: 5.30am, corner of Kullala and Piriwal sts. Dawn service: Pelican RSL Memorial Park after march arrives.

Rathmines

Morning service: 11am, Catalina Memorial Park.

Raymond Terrace

Dawn service: 6am, Anzac Park, Jacaranda Ave. Morning service: 11am, Raymond Terrace memorial outside bowling club.

Redhead

Morning service: 11am, War Memorial, Cowlishaw St.

Ryhope

Morning service: 9am, Lake Macquarie Memorial Park, Cessnock Rd.

Scone

Dawn service: 6am, War Memorial Swimming Pool. Morning service: 11am, War Memorial. March forms at Kelly St at 10.45am.

Singleton

Dawn service: 5.30am, Civic Centre, Queen St. Morning service: 11am, Civic Centre, Queen St. March to commence from 10am down Hunter St

Shortland

Dawn service: 5am, Memorial Grove, Conmurra Cct.

Seaham

Morning service: 9am, The Knitting Circle Memorial, cr East Seaham and Newline rds, East Seaham. March: 8.45am, form up at Seaham Weir Park.

Stroud

Morning service: 8am, Stroud cenotaph. Bus to depart Dungog at 7.35am.

Stockton

Dawn service: 5.45am, Cenotaph, Mitchell St. A catafalque party will depart Stockton RSL Club at 5.30am. Morning service: 9am. March off from the George Washington Hotel, Hunter St, 8.30am. Proceed along Mitchell St to cenotaph.

Swansea

Dawn service: 5am, Swansea RSL Club. March: 11am, through the main street of Swansea. Service to follow at Swansea RSL Club.

Teralba

Morning service: 8am, Anzac Park. March to form up at Anzac Pde at 7.30am to step off 7.40am.

Tilligerry

Dawn service: 5.45am, Tilligerry RSL Sports Club cenotaph. March: 9.40am, Avenue of the Allies. Morning service: 10am, RSL cenotaph.

Toronto

Dawn service: 6am, Goffet Park. Morning service: 11.30am, Goffet Park. March to start at 11.10am, with form up at 10.45am on The Boulevarde.

Valentine

March: 10am, Allambee Park, for 10.05am service.

Wallsend

Dawn service: 5am, Cenotaph, Federal Park. March to depart Wallsend Diggers, Tyrrell St, shortly before.

Wangi Wangi

March: 10am, Puna Rd, to proceed along Dobell Drive into Watkins Rd to Wangi Wangi RSL Memorial.

source:theherald.com.au

Με Ξαρχάκο και «Ψίθυρους Καρδιάς» το αντίο στο φετινό Φεστιβάλ του Σίδνεϊ

Με δύο πράξεις που φέρουν την υπογραφή του Δημήτρη Μπάση και οι οποίες ανεβάζουν ποιοτικά την πολιτιστική στάθμη των παροικιακών εκδηλώσεων, ολοκληρώθηκε το 34ο Ελληνικό Φεστιβάλ Σίδνεϊ, που διοργάνωσε η Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Κοινότητα Ν.Ν.Ουαλίας.

Ο Έλληνας τραγουδιστής είχε την ευκαιρία να δείξει την ερμηνευτική του δεινότητα, αποδίδοντας εξαιρετικά διάφορα τραγούδια του Σταύρου Ξαρχάκου από τη μεγάλη διαδρομή του μουσικοσυνθέτη, στη συναυλία που έδωσε στο City Recital Hall, στο κέντρο του Σίδνεϊ.

Είναι χαρακτηριστικό ότι το κοινό τρεις φορές επανέφερε στη σκηνή τον Μπάση, ο οποίος, έχοντας ολοκληρώσει τον «ξαρχακικό» κύκλο, αποχαιρέτισε το κοινό με ένα τραγούδι από το «Άξιον Εστί» του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη. Είπε, μάλιστα, ότι δύο ημέρες πριν έρθει στην Αυστραλία, είχε επικοινωνήσει με τον Μίκη Θεοδωράκη, ο οποίος του μίλησε με τα καλύτερα λόγια για τις συναυλίες που είχε δώσει εδώ και του ζήτησε να μεταφέρει θερμούς χαιρετισμούς στην ομογένεια.

Το πρώτο μέρος της συναυλίας περιελάμβανε το εμβληματικό έργο της ελληνικής μουσικής δημιουργίας, «Το Χαμόγελο της Τζοκόντας», του Μάνου Χατζιδάκι.

Η ορχήστρα, τα περισσότερα μέλη της οποίας ήταν μη ελληνικής καταγωγής, απέδωσε με ακρίβεια το πολυαγαπημένο αυτό έργο, και ανήκουν εύσημα στον ομογενή μαέστρο George Ellis, που επέλεξε και προετοίμασε κατάλληλα τους μουσικούς.

Να σημειωθεί ότι φέτος ήταν η δεύτερη χρονιά της σύμπραξης της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας με το City Recital Hall, οι υπεύθυνοι του οποίου δήλωσαν εντυπωσιασμένοι με τη συνεργασία και όλα προδίδουν ότι θα υπάρξει συνέχεια (πέρυσι είχε παρουσιαστεί το «Άξιον Εστί του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη).

Η δεύτερη και αποχαιρετιστήρια πράξη του Δημήτρη Μπάση, ήταν την Κυριακή το βράδυ, όταν για σχεδόν τέσσερις ώρες προσέφερε καλό ελληνικό μουσικό γλέντι σε πάνω από 250 άτομα, που είχαν γεμίσει το ομογενειακό κέντρο Grand Roxy, στο Brighton Le Sands.

Η εκδήλωση είχε χαρακτήρα οικονομικής ενίσχυσης του Φεστιβάλ, αλλά και πανηγυρικού εορτασμού για το τέλος της φετινής διοργάνωσης.

Ο Μπάσης είπε δικές του επιτυχίες, αλλά και τραγούδια άλλων ερμηνευτών που αγαπήσαμε. Ιδιαίτερη μνεία έκανε στον Δημήτρη Μητροπάνο, την ορχήστρα του οποίου «κληρονόμησε», όπως ανέφερε από μικροφώνου, καθώς ήταν ο τελευταίος που συνεργάστηκε με τον μεγάλο λαϊκό τραγουδιστή πριν τον θάνατό του την άνοιξη του 2012.

Στην ίδια εκδήλωση τραγούδησε η συμπάροικος ταλαντούχα τραγουδίστρια, Διονυσία Βερτζάγια, η οποία έχει θητεύσει μουσικά και στην Ελλάδα. Εκτιμήθηκε ιδιαίτερα η προσήλωσή της στο έντεχνο ελληνικό τραγούδι.

Πηγή:Νέος  Κόσμος

Στην 6η θέση η Αυστραλία και στην 29η η Ελλάδα, σύμφωνα με τον κατάλογο της “Telegraph”

Την 29η θέση στην κατάταξη των 50 δημοφιλέστερων χωρών στον κόσμο για ταξίδια, όπως τις ανέδειξαν οι αναγνώστες της βρετανικής εφημερίδας «Telegraph», καταλαμβάνει φέτος όπως και πέρυσι, η Ελλάδα.

Σύμφωνα με την κατάταξη, η Ελλάδα παραμένει ο δεύτερος πιο περιζήτητος προορισμός στη Μεσόγειο για τους Βρετανούς.

Στην ψηφοφορία για τα Telegraph Travel Awards 2015-16, τα οποία ανακοινώθηκαν πρόσφατα, συμμετείχαν περισσότεροι από 75.000 αναγνώστες.

ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

Παρά τα προβλήματα που αντιμετωπίζει τα τελευταία χρόνια, συνεχίζουμε να αγαπάμε την Ελλάδα, η οποία παραμένει ο δεύτερος πιο αγαπημένος προορισμός των αναγνωστών στη Μεσόγειο. Είναι αλήθεια ότι μόλις φτάσετε σε ένα από τα ελληνικά ειδυλλιακά νησιά, με τα κάτασπρα χωριά τους να κάνουν αντίθεση με τον βαθύ μπλε ουρανό και την καταγάλανη θάλασσα, τα προβλήματα του κόσμου μοιάζουν να εξαφανίζονται.

ΟΙ 50 ΧΩΡΕΣ, ΟΠΩΣ ΤΙΣ ΑΝΕΔΕΙΞΑΝ ΟΙ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑΣ

50. Γαλλία (μια θέση πιο χαμηλά από πέρυσι)
51. Βολιβία (+22 θέσεις από πέρυσι)
52. Πορτογαλία
53. Αυστρία
54. Ομάν
55. Ισπανία
56. Ιορδανία
57. Βρετανικές Παρθένες Νήσοι
58. Φιλιππίνες
59. Κολομβία
60. St. Lucia
61. Νορβηγία
62. Βραζιλία
63. Καμπότζη
64. Μεξικό
65. Ζάμπια
66. Γροιλανδία
67. Ινδονησία
68. Χιλή
69. Λάος
70. Κροατία
71. Ελλάδα
72. Ισραήλ
73. Κένυα
74. Ινδία
75. Βερμούδες
76. Ταϊλάνδη
77. Εκουαδόρ
78. Μπαρμπάντος
79. Ισλανδία
80. Κόστα Ρίκα
81. Κούβα
82. Βιετνάμ
83. Μαυρίκιος
84. Καναδάς
85. Περού
86. Ιταλία
87. ΗΠΑ
88. Νεπάλ
89. Σρι Λάνκα
90. Μποτσουάνα
91. Ναμίμπια
92. Τανζανία
93. Σεϊχέλες
94. Αυστραλία
95. Βιρμανία
96. Ιαπωνία
97. Ν. Αφρική
98. Μαλδίβες
99. Νέα Ζηλανδία.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Jenny Theologidis and Wayne Simmons, the duo performing as Polyxeni.

One of the best offerings of Greek music is that of the mixed musical marriage of Jenny Theologidis and Wayne Simmons.

It is telling of Melbourne’s status as one of the multicultural capitals of the world that one of the best offerings of Greek music is that of a mixed musical marriage.

Jenny Theologidis and Wayne Simmons have long been performing under the moniker Polyxeni, thoroughly exploring the tradition of rebetiko and urban Greek folk laika songs, a period spanning from the turn of the 20th century to the 1950s, but also their offspring, the roots-based work of composers and songwriters such as Nikos Papazoglou, Nikos Xydakis, Orfeas Peridis, Thanassis Papakonstantino and so on – those labeled as entechno artists.

The duet is often augmented by other musicians and it is this extended group that will be performing at The Boîte (1 Mark Street, North Fitzroy) on Saturday. The paradox, of course, is that, apart from Jacob Papadopoulos (one of the best bouzouki players in Melbourne), Polyxeni will be joined by fiddler Sally Taylor and bassist Adrian Close. A Greek band in which Greeks are a minority? Talk about a paradox that could only happen in Melbourne.
Jenny Theologidis herself suggests that we should not read too much into it.

“It is very hard to find a traditional fiddle player in Melbourne,” she says, praising the artistry of Sally Taylor, who’s a classically-trained violinist with a deep knowledge of English folk music, used to playing music more than 150 years old. That she has been indicted to Greek traditional music by an Australian such as Wayne Simmons is also a paradox.

“He is the one writing the charts and doing the arrangements,” says Jenny, describing how he became fascinated by the treasure of Greek music, working as a teacher at Alphington Grammar. “He can understand this music, because he has been through a lot himself,” she explains.

As for herself, she admits that she could never be interested in singing contemporary pop music. With a voice and phrasing that evokes some of the greatest voices in the history of rebetiko (Marika Ninou, Roza Eskenazy, Stella Haskil) and brings to mind the early days of Eleftheria Arvanitaki, she seems to have been born to sing this material.

“I can’t explain it, but I have been very moved by this music ever since I was a little girl; when I was going to church with my family, all I cared for was the Byzantine chants, I didn’t pay attention to anything else,” she remembers. “Maybe because my father’s origins are from Asia Minor.”

The songs of this area will be the focus of Saturday’s performance. “Very few groups in Melbourne play the music of Asia Minor,” says the singer, explaining the group’s decision to present a night of music dedicated to the musical tradition that formed Greek urban music, after the war that resulted in the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the destruction of Smyrna and the uprooting of a population that became refugees to the mainland of Greece.

Apart from that, the group will also focus on the music of Manolis Chiotis, the man who revolutionized the bouzouki, incorporating the western and Latin sounds of swing and mambo.

“We will not play these songs, though,” she’s quick to point out, “but his earlier songs, from 1945 to 1952, which were more traditional rebetika.”

Talking about the interest of an eclectic, mixed audience to discover this vast and somewhat ignored musical tradition, she also offers some insight into what drives people like herself, Wayne Simmons and the other musicians that work with Polyxeni.

“We are all looking for what does not exist any more, what is long-gone and that we feel the need to keep present”.

source:Neos Kosmos

IT was a special day for black rhino Dafari on Wednesday, with the calf celebrating his first birthday at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Dafari is the second calf to mother Bakhita, and the 12th black rhino to be born at the zoo.

Rhino keeper Nerida Taylor said a special cake was made for Dafari, on what she called a “great occasion”.

“It’s part of the hay ration and we put some bottle brush flowers in it to act as candles,” she said.

“He was a bit playful when he first came out and it was great to see him enjoying it.”

The birthday boy now weighs 10 times his birth weight.

“He was weighed probably a month ago and I think he was just under 500 kilograms so easily now he’d be well and truly over the 500 kilogram mark,” Ms Taylor said.

“As we have been watching him grow I think we estimated at early stages he was putting on at least 10 kilos a week.”

Greater one-horned rhino calf Rajah will reach the six-month mark on April 25.

Rajah was the first of his kind to be born in Australia and his birth was the result of more than 15 years of planning.

NSW Environmental Minister Mark Speakman said it was an outstanding achievement to have two healthy calves progressing well at the zoo.

He said the zoo was now operating successful breeding programs for three of the five surviving rhino species.

source:theherald.com.au

The Australian Tax Office is close to striking a deal with the Federal Court to fast-track large corporate tax cases that have dragged on for years.

Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan said the ATO had “hardened its approach” to corporate tax avoidance and was refusing to be “stooged and gamed” by companies that do not deal in good faith.

He said the court was receptive to making changes that would speed up significant cases – some worth hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes to the public purse – through the system.

The ATO believes the public is being short-changed by about $2 billion a year by corporate Australia.

“We are in discussions – it started last year – with the Federal Court to see how we can get some of these more strategically important cases up into their list in a quicker way,” Mr Jordan told the Senate’s corporate tax avoidance inquiry on Thursday.

“They are very co-operative and interested in how we can appropriately identify and work with them to get things up quicker.”

The aim would be to prosecute “strategically important” cases to establish principles to then expedite a backlog of similar cases and potentially reduce the need for expensive courtroom showdowns.

Mr Jordan used the example of the ATO’s case against Chevron, the owner of Australia’s biggest ever resources project, the Gorgon liquefied natural gas plant off the coast of Western Australia.

The Federal Court last year ordered the company to pay $300 million in back taxes. The case had cost the ATO $10 million in legal fees and took more than 11 years from start to finish.

Mr Jordan fronted the inquiry having returned this week from Paris, where he chaired a meeting of 35 countries wanting to respond to the Panama Papers leak.

According to the ATO’s knowledge of the leak, there are bikies and drug dealers among the Australian clients of Panamanian-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which created tax-shielding shell companies on an industrial scale.

Mr Jordan said 80 of the 800 Australians so far implicated are on the Australian Crime Commission’s list of “serious and organised crime holdings”. They range from “bikies to promoters of tax schemes”, according to ATO Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston.

Mr Cranston confirmed that the Cayman Islands was a tax haven, but said it was generally considered a “US route” or destination for money from the United States.

Last year Labor senator Sam Dastyari called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to sell out of his $1 million investments in the Caymans through two Wall Street hedge funds that use Grand Cayman as their business address.

On Thursday, Fairfax Media revealed that 40 prominent Australians had written an open letter in response to the Panama Papers calling on Mr Turnbull to act to prevent wealthy Australians hiding money offshore and out of reach of the ATO.

Mr Turnbull responded by saying Australia was “leading the charge” since the Panama leak.

“We have a very strong taxation regime and we believe that everybody must pay their tax, must pay their fair share of tax in accordance with Australian law; no exceptions, no ifs or buts,” he said.

The government is expected to unveil new measures in the budget to net more tax from multinational companies operating in Australia.

source:theheraldcom.au

60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown Brown, centre, and her TV crew, including David Ballment, left, and Sally Faulkner have had the charges dropped and have been released from a Beirut jail. Photo: Nine Network

The child recovery agent who remains in jail over the bungled Beirut child snatch involving 60 Minutes has blamed rivals for tipping off authorities to the plot.

The allegations appeared on the Facebook page of Child Abduction Recovery International, the business run by former Australian soldier Adam Whittington who remains in custody in Lebanon over the failed operation.

Mr Whittington was arrested along with Cyprus based tattooist Craig Michael, two Lebanese men, four members of an Australian 60 Minutes crew and the children’s mother Sally Faulkner after the failed operation.

He was attempting to snatch the two children from the care of their father Ali Elamine and return them to Ms Faulkner.

“It has come to our attention that one of our competitors has actively undermined this operation by passing on confidential information,” the post read.

“These malevolent actions have resulted in the detention of all those involved.

“All parties are aware of this individual’s self serving actions which are nothing short of despicable and were purely designed to bring down one of the most trustworthy reliable and honest organisations operating in this difficult area.”

The post refutes claims his organisation had faked success stories on its website.

In the months before the bungled recovery, Mr Whittington’s website had been aggressively insulting and attacking some of his British-based rivals.

Under a “Warning” heading, the web page named two recovery agents as “con artists” and urged parents not to use them.

One of the named competitors has told Fairfax Media he is suing Mr Whittington for defamation over the claims.

Both have vigorously disputed the claims.

The CARI post also says its operatives left behind in Beirut “are strong and well”.

Mr Whittington’s wife, who did not give her name, also posted on the page attacking critics of her husband and saying he was “an honourable and brave” man and called for authorities to be lenient in their treatment of him.

“Adam is receiving some bad press at the moment and he is being accused of being a liar and a fraudster,” she wrote.

“Adam is a former military man and police officer. He is honourable and brave and a man who stands up for what he believes in.

“He feels passionately that it is wrong for one parent to take unilateral action and remove children from their custodial parent and from their home. That is exactly what this father did in this case.

“Adam is a good hearted family man who was trying to help a desperate mother.”

She said leniency should have been shown to her husband.

“I cannot comment on the details of the case but if the outcome is that Adam has committed a crime he will accept that and respect the Lebanese legal system and their right to punish him,” she said.

“For my part I hope that any punishment is as lenient as possible. He has not committed a crime against humanity.”

Earlier, Mr Whittington’s and Mr Michael’s lawyer, Joe Karam, claimed bank records showed the Nine Network directly paid for the botched child operation and hit out at the media company’s “unethical” decision to exclude those who carried out the plot from a deal that secured the television crew’s freedom.

While the Australians have gone free, Mr Elamine will pursue personal charges against Mr Whittington and Mr Michael and two Lebanese men who assisted with the plot.

“Ethically it wasn’t appropriate for Channel Nine to arrange for a deal and not include the man they asked to execute for them something,” Mr Karam told reporters outside the Palace of Justice.

Mr Karam said bank records would show Nine directly paid CARI $69,000 in one of two expected instalments.

“That shows that they did ask him to provide an investigation in a missing child which is not buying a story; they asked for what happened.

“They were all a team; they came altogether and I think they should leave altogether,” he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said she was pleased the civil proceedings had been settled and that Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes crew were on their way home.

She emphasised that, in situations such as these, Australia would “do what we can” on behalf of citizens, but ultimately they were in the hands of foreign laws and courts.

“Australian governments cannot become involved in the sovereign legal proceedings of other countries,” she said.

“You have to abide by the law of the other country in which you are a visitor.”

Mr Karam has called on the Australian government to do more to assist Mr Whittington, who is a dual British-Australian citizen.

Ms Bishop said that, while Australia had provided consular assistance to Mr Whittington, Lebanon would liaise with British authorities as he was travelling on his British passport.

“Custody cases are always difficult. They rarely have a win-win situation for all,” she said.

source:smh.com.au